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Management in the Middle: Life is Unfair
by Lisa A. Ennis
I never intended to become a government documents librarian. In fact, I entered library school in the fall of 1996 with the hope of becoming a systems librarian. Yet the same love of a good challenge and of fixing things that originally drew me into systems work also drew me into government documents in 2001.
Background
Bounced from area to area, the Documents Collection at Georgia College & State University had fallen into disarray over a number of years. When an April 2000 inspection was scheduled, a colleague volunteered to take it over. This person made a valiant effort to improve the collection, but simply lacked the time and resources to prepare for the inspection.
The collection was found non-compliant in five of the seven areas (Bibliographic Control, Maintenance, Human Resources, Physical Facilities, and Public Service) inspected by the Federal Depository Library Program inspectors, and placed on probation. When this colleague resigned in December 2001, the library was faced with another looming inspection - and with no Documents Coordinator.
As a result of the resignation and devastating inspection report, the library faculty was charged with deciding if the library should try and "fix" the collection or relinquish its depository status. The vast majority of the library staff felt that the collection was too important and that too much work had already been completed to just give up, but wondered if the collection could even be saved - and who would take over as Documents Coordinator? I do love a challenge, so I volunteered to take on the Collection.
The Challenge
I officially became the Documents Coordinator on February 1, 2001. Having only a modicum of supervisory and documents experience, I felt this was both an amazing opportunity and a chance to try out some of the management and team building strategies I learned in school and by observation. Besides the nuts and bolts of actually correcting the deficiencies noted in the inspection report, I had to manage people up, down, and laterally and convince all of them that this unpopular, problematic, and neglected collection was a worthwhile resource - and even fun!
Getting Organized
The first thing I did was to take the April 2000 report and carefully organize everything that needed to be done into three categories: things I had to complete, things that I could delegate, and things that could not be changed. Working from these three categories, I tried to approach everything systematically, with a positive, upbeat attitude - even though I often felt overwhelmed and fearful about the re-inspection.
Eleven months later the chief inspector visited the library, and stated in the inspection report that "as the Inspector walked through the collection, there was no indication of the poor condition that was noted in the previous inspection..." and that "it was almost as different as night and day!" The library was found compliant in all seven areas, and the probationary status was lifted. The best thing about this wonderful success story is that every single person in the library played a role in making the re-inspection so successful.
Communication
Communication is a key concept. Having worked at places where communication both up and down the hierarchy was poor, I was determined that everyone knew what I was doing, why it had to be done, and when things were scheduled. For instance, one task I had to complete was a Policies & Procedures web page. I made sure this site was available to the entire library throughout its creation and revision, and invited people to comment and make suggestions. The day before the inspection, I visited each department in the library to see if there were any last-minute questions. This small act was highly appreciated. I also found that communicating with people and asking for opinions and comments began to make them feel involved and invested in the collection.
Try, Try Again
Effort counts! Sometimes you just have to do the best you can with what you have. One of the biggest problems that faced the Russell Library involved second floor access. Built in 1932, and then renovated in 1968, the building never had an elevator. With Documents located on the second floor, physical access to the collection was limited. While none of us could install an elevator, we could make every effort to provide access. We made new signage instructing people to ask for help inside the building and purchased large directional signs for outside the building. We took what we had to work with, did the best we could with it, and moved on to the next task.
Feedback Counts
Positive reinforcement works! As an employee, I've always enjoyed being told "good job" or "thanks - couldn't do it without you." So, I made an effort to show and tell every single person that each thing they did, big or small, was a big deal, and that their efforts were valued and appreciated. What I found was, not only did they appreciate a simple "thank you," but they also asked what they could do next! They were excited and positive about Documents and the inspection.
Overall, my management experience, with all levels, came down to a single "golden rule" - do your best to treat people the way you would want to be treated.
Lisa Ennis is a librarian at Georgia College & State University in Milledgeville, Georgia.